Blood Runs Red
by Silent Angel
Summary: A muggle's been employed at Hogwarts at the same time Harry's dreams start up again. But is the muggle really what she seems and does Dumbledore know who she really is? dark/implied HP/DM and Hermione and Ron might be together.
1. Dream

The streets in Hogsmeade, normally filled with cheerful shoppers, were a complete opposite at night. Men would wander around until they passed out from the beer. Young witches sat in a circle smoking and laughing, the sound brittle and harsh to hear. Leaning against cars, seducing the passengers, were hookers of every age, sex, and overall variety. Harry heard a voice behind him coming closer. He hid. Barely a minute later, a girl his age walked into the alley he was hidden in. She had black greasy hair from nights of not washing, and smelled like sex covered up by too much of some man's cologne. She was crying, but it was a dream, so in a distant part of his mind he reassured himself that there wasn't anything for him to do about it. A man walked in after her.  
  
"Get back here you fucking bitch!" He grabbed her and pulled her back to him. Harry forgot that it was a dream and ran at him, only to pass right through him and into her. He tried to step out, but now she was gone, and he was the whore the man was trying to rape. Suddenly his eyes narrowed and he shoved the man aside. The girl was there again, whispering. Harry watched, stunned, as the man fumbled around for a moment before finding a jagged piece of glass. The girl was speaking louder now.  
  
"Slit your throat."  
  
Her voice was completely void of any emotion as she said it. Harry noticed absentmindedly that she had a tattoo of a snake winding around her stomach where the shirt cut off. The rest of his mind focused on the man who was try grasping the hand with the glass and trying to push it away as if he didn't even recognize it.  
  
"Slit your throat."  
  
Somehow, without the tone changing at all, the girl's voice grew more forceful. Harry could almost see the man's will break against his former victim's. Then Harry was the one standing there. He panicked and tried to run, but his arm reached up and pressed the broken shard of glass against his throat and push. Harry was out of the man again, watching his body slump against the wall. The girl turned towards him and-  
  
Harry woke up screaming.  
  
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Alrighty then. was that a good enough prologue? Any suggestions? Help? I already know what I'm doing about that girl, but if you want to tell me an idea about how she actually meets Harry, or should he already be at Hogwarts? Or.  
  
Silent Angel 


	2. Muggle

The summer was an uneventful one. Aside from the strange dream he'd had one night, Harry's life remained just as annoyingly dull as it was every summer, with the addition of the occasional beating from Dudley. As it was, Harry was counting down the days till he could leave and becoming nervous. There weren't any arrangements for him to get to Diagon Alley this year. Maybe the Dursley's would take him? Harry snorted. That was about as likely as Dudley's diet finally working. He was considering this problem while cooking breakfast when the doorbell rang. "Go get it." He did, quietly swinging the door open, and then slamming it closed again. Draco Malfoy was on his doorstep. "Well, who is it?"  
  
Whatever Harry might have said to fix this mess was ruined when Harry's worst enemy (unless you counted Voldemort and Snape, but they were probably above words like 'enemy') pushed his way in and called out, "Get your stuff, Potter. Dumbledore's sent some. girl to fetch us." As was expected, this brought Harry's uncle flying out of the kitchen faster than would be thought possible. "What is one of those doing here?" he hissed. Harry thought this would be a good time to explain that he didn't mean for this to happen, but was cut off once again.  
  
"I told you to get your school things Potter. I don't think she wants to have to wait much longer. Didn't seem like." Harry was already climbing up to his room. While it was probably an attempt to hand him over to Voldemort, it was also the perfect chance to get away. If Voldemort was behind this. Harry shrugged. Dumbledore said he would be safe here, and he had every reason to believe it. If Malfoy was lying, the Slytherin probably wouldn't be able to get here. Just in case, he checked through the window. A girl with black hair pulled up in a ponytail was sitting in a dark green car. She seemed to realize she was being watched and titled her face towards his window and cocked her head as if to say, 'What're you waiting for?' There was something oddly familiar about her, but the sunglasses she was wearing prevented him from seeing what she might really look like.  
  
Harry was broken from his reverie by a crash and hurried downstairs as fast as the heavy trunk he was dragging would allow. "What did you do to him?" Harry asked in horror. What had once been his uncle Vernon was now looking like a rather badly made clay pot. Malfoy on the other hand simply looked critical of his work. "I was trying to turn him into something useful like a bowl, but it didn't work. He'll probably turn back in an hour. If not, the Ministry of Magic will do it." Harry shook his head and followed the blond out to the car, being careful not to step on his uncle. He dumped the trunk in the back of the car (1) and got in. Malfoy got in the front with a slight smirk. "Who are you?" The girl turned around and glanced at him before starting the car up and focusing on the road. Just when Harry had given up on getting and answer, she said, "My name's not really important, but I guess it won't hurt. I'm Professor Kali Naitono, at your service." She grinned back at him, and Harry felt his nerves calm some. If she was a professor, she was probably all right, but if she wasn't.  
  
"You're teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Her smile became strained, and Harry's nerves were back in full force. "Not exactly. It'll be more like. well never mind. You'll see once class gets started." She smiled more naturally now. "Don't worry I'm not taking you to Voldemort's great big induction ceremony tonight. I'll wait till you're more settled in and not expecting it." The suspicions floating around his mind instantly disappeared and he laughed. In front of him, Malfoy snorted. Professor Naitono glared at him. "Is there a problem?" Harry could practically hear the smirk he knew was on Malfoy's lips. "Of course you wouldn't bring him to Voldemort. You're a muggle. That or a squib. I don't know which one would be worse yet." Harry gaped at the professor. Hiring a werewolf or a complete idiot were likely things for the Headmaster of Hogwarts, but a muggle? "How are you gonna teach us if you don't have any magic?" Professor Naitona shook her head and kept quiet. Apparently he wasn't supposed to know yet.  
  
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An hour or two later they stopped. Harry glanced around tiredly, taking in his surroundings. They were at the leaky cauldron, and Malfoy was already going in. Suddenly he stopped and fell down just outside the door. The professor rushed over at once, shaking her head. Harry followed cautiously and gasped. Malfoy's face was turning red. "I told you to wait," she muttered. "This might sting a little." Malfoy's face turned the right color again and he started gasping for air as the teacher slapped him. "What in bloody hell just happened!" Malfoy's outburst was lost on their professor who had just walked inside. The boys followed her out to the brick wall. "What did you do to me?" She shrugged. "Since I'm a muggle and in charge of you right now, Professor Dumbledore's put some wards up around me. Now that I've got you, every time you go too far away you'll stop breathing. It was the most effective thing we could think of." Harry nodded, but Malfoy wouldn't let it go. "The slapping?" She grinned slightly. "My idea. I figured it would injure your pride sufficiently enough that you wouldn't want it happening around people you might know. Dumbledore said it was brilliant." She beamed a little, then tapped the wall. "Either of you care to open this stupid thing. I know how in theory, but without a wand it's kind of useless." Harry tapped the brick, noticing her almost childish wonder as they stepped into Diagon Alley. 


	3. Sirius

Diagon Alley was as busy as ever. After a stop at Gringotts, the group made their way down to buy next year's books when they passed the street. For a moment Harry didn't recognize it, as different as it was during the day. Then he saw the stain on the ground that even magic wouldn't clean up. He remembered the dream. Slit your throat. He froze. "You don't want to stop breathing, do you Potter?" Malfoy's comment jerked Harry back, and he continued, not noticing his teacher's own glance back at the alley. She frowned and shook her head, then continued on down the street.  
  
"You should buy a wand. Even if you can't use it, it might get you some more respect from the Slytherins if they at least think you have magic." Despite all their professor's protests, as soon as they were out of Flourish and Blotts, the boys were dragging her to buy a wand, although she couldn't figure out why in the world they would work together for something so pointless. She sighed and gave in as the bell rang signaling their entrance. Mr. Ollivander appeared from behind several shelves, looking surprised. He studied her for a moment before hurrying to the back of his shop. "What was that all about?" Malfoy examined her suspiciously. She shrugged. "He's probably finding his worst wand so that I won't ruin anything actually good." The boys looked away, shaking their heads as she grinned. She was being a right muggle about things.  
  
"This way Miss." Her eyes widened and she gave a slight movement of her head, indicating for him to stop. "Professor Kali Naitono. You must be Mr. Ollivander." She smiled. "These two insisted I buy a wand, but I'm a muggle, so you might as well give me the worst one." The shop owner's eyes twinkled knowingly, but all he said was, "I have no bad wands. All are great in their own ways. Follow me." He led her into a back room, closing the door on her charges.  
  
"A muggle now?" he asked while casting a silencing charm on the room. She smiled sheepishly. "It was the best idea I could think of on short notice. They'll find out soon enough." He nodded and drew out a blood red box. "What happened to your last wand?" "I lost it." She paused and added, "My father, ya know?" Mr. Ollivander simply sighed and gazed down at the wand he was now holding. "Eleven inches; rowan with a core of" "Blood. Only the donar of the blood may use this wand. Am I sure I want to do this? Yes." She held out her wand for him to extract some blood to the wand. He did so, smiling sadly at the girl's determination. "Remember to let it soak into the wood for at least a week before using it." She sighed. "I know, I know. Just let me get back. I don't trust those boys not to kill each other or themselves."  
  
They were indeed in the middle of a war zone when they opened the door. She quickly slipped her newest wand into her pocket and screamed. Both boys stopped. "Thank you. Do I want to know what that was about?" "Potter's just being stupid, that's all." Harry almost hit Malfoy again, but a warning glance later he was walking outside with his new Professor. They left without any further confrontations, although Harry was disappointed. He hadn't known anyone other than the shopkeepers. In Diagon Alley, that should have been impossible. He sighed. After a few minutes they were on their way to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and the car was held in total silence.  
  
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"So what were you two fighting about?" Professor Naitono asked as Malfoy left with his father. He had been very adamant about taking 'Draco' back after shopping. He also didn't seem to like the idea of his son hanging around with a muggle for the extra day till the Hogwarts Express came around much. "He was saying his usual junk about how he was better than a muggle, and called Dumbledore an idiot. I really don't know what happened after that except that we were both on the floor trying to kill each other." He stared at his teacher, whose face had gone incredibly white. "What's wrong?" She shook herself and smiled a strained sort of smile. "Nothing. I just remembered something is all. Now," she said, turning and pulling him toward the platform. "we'll be going to Hogwarts a bit early after the recent killings and such, it's a bit better if you aren't around any death eaters if you know what I mean." He frowned. "Why was Malfoy there then?" All he got in answer was nervous laugh. He sighed and followed her onto the Hogwarts Express, which apparently ran year-round. 'Or maybe it's just because Dumbledore wanted it to be here,' he thought.  
  
Once they were on the train, his Professor disappeared, saying she had other things to attend to. Wondering what she could possibly do on an apparently empty train, he followed. Finally she stopped and closed the door of a private compartment. Inside he could hear voices, although he was sure no one else was there. "I've got him. Happy now?" There was a gruff affirmative from a voice Harry vaguely recognized. "Why did that brat have to go along anyway? I could have done that connection anytime. And that spell! It wouldn't kill them to be able to see their friends a bit early." He still couldn't hear the other voice quite properly, as it wasn't talking quite as loudly as Professor Naitono. "I need the glasses. (2) I can't be recognized. And do you know what they made me do? I had to go into Ollivanders! I haven't gone there since father found out about my first wand! That man would recognize me anywhere, and I'm lucky they didn't find out" "Quiet!" Finally Harry knew who the second voice belonged to. They were whispering and aside from an occasional mutter, he couldn't hear anything. As he returned to his compartment he sighed and whispered the name of the man with her. (3) "Sirius."  
  
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It was quite a while before his Professor returned. He immediately pretended to be asleep. She started to say something, but thought better of it and sat down across from him wearily. After a few minutes she fell asleep and Harry dared opening his eyes to a slit just wide enough to see her through. Her hair wasn't completely black. It seemed to have silver strands that wove into streaks here and there, although Harry wasn't sure. The ponytail prevented him from seeing if they really were silver streaks or just how the light was shining. Either way, it was obvious that there was something unnatural about them. Even so, he could tell that she was only a few years older than him (How did she get to be a Professor?) She was still wearing her muggle clothing (Harry hoped she owned a set of robes. She'd never get anywhere in those.) and there was something odd. Her shirt had slid up her stomach some, and was revealing something green. It took Harry a moment to realize that he was staring at a green dragon-like snake tattooed around her stomach.  
  
(1) I couldn't stand saying 'dumped the trunk in the trunk'. Just too. annoying. (2) With the glaring and all-they weren't big glasses-just enough to make her look different. They could still see her eyes. (3) Don't worry-she might flirt, but there will be no pairings involving her. 


End file.
